Hand sanitisers or hand washing soaps?

Health experts are frequently saying, “Wash your hands, wash your hands.” While it is a good advice in the face of the outbreak of Ebola in some parts of the world as well as other communicable diseases and infections, we are left to ask in return: with what should we wash our hands with?

Digging deeper, we should also ask: are antibacterial soaps better than the regular soaps we use? Do hand sanitisers really work? Triclosan is an ingredient added to consumer products ranging from toothpastes, hand wash lotions and body wash etc, to reduce or prevent bacterial contamination. 

According to WHO, hand sanitisers are really not healthy. Consumers need to start using the good old fashioned soap again. 

This is because consumers are exposed to thousands of untested chemicals which range from endocrine disruptors in soaps, toothpastes, shampoo, make-up etc. Hence, with a growing need for convenience among a larger working population, most well informed consumers are now more conscious as they now read labels when they go out to purchase goods from the store.

Also, it should not be anti-bacterial soap because using antibacterial soap is like taking a small dose of antibiotics every day. We are meant to have some bacteria on our skin and should not be killing it every chance we get. WHO also recommends hand scrubs or alcohol sanitisers.

For about four decades, the Food and Drug Administration has not managed to decide if triclosan is safe. Meanwhile, consumers are washing their hands and brushing their teeth with this chemical; with direct absorption into the blood through the mouth tissues.

Current research shows that triclosan is damaging to the endocrine system which is made up of glands that are responsible for mood regulation, metabolism and growth. 

Also, the FDA issued a proposal which will require makers of antibacterial soaps and cleansers to show that their products not only work, but that they are also, actually safe to use. Apparently, there is growing concern that these soaps, which contain antibacterial chemicals, may do more harm than good when used on a daily basis.

“Antibacterial soaps and body washes are used widely and frequently by consumers daily both at home, work, school and public settings, where the risk of infection is relatively low,” explained a representative from the FDA in a statement. “Due to consumers’ extensive exposure to the ingredients in antibacterial soaps, we believe there should be a clearly demonstrated benefit from using antibacterial soap to balance any potential risk.”

Triclosan, an antibacterial agent and preservative, is a common ingredient in liquid antibacterial soaps. Despite the fact that it has long been considered a contributing factor in the dangerous rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. All across the world, these stronger super-bug bacterial strains are emerging as a serious public health threat, most likely as the result of overuse of chemicals such as triclosan.

But that’s not the only problem with triclosan. It’s also believed to irritate skin, alter development, affect reproduction and disrupt thyroid hormone function; it’s also possibly carcinogenic. 

Triclosan produces harmful toxins such as dioxin and chloroform when it reacts with other agents in the watershed, and therefore has far-reaching environmental consequences. Triclocarbon, a chemical pesticide used in antibacterial bar soaps, is closely related to triclosan and poses similar problems for both people and the planet.

Liquid hand sanitisers, sanitising wipes, and antibacterial products used in health care facilities are mostly made up of alcohol or ethanol. These are generally recognized as safe, and will not be affected by the proposal.

Anne Agbaje